Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Mazda Mazda6 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
After two years of driving this car the clutch pedal assembly completely broke puncturing through the fire wall and brake reservoir, luckily I was starting the vehicle in a hospital parking lot when I pushed the clutch in it went completely to the floor and did not come back up. It was completely inoperable, I had to have the car towed after patching the firewall and replacing the clutch pedal assembly for $1800 I was told that part was faulty on this vehicle and if it happened once it would probably happen again. One year later it broke again only this time I was driving down the road when I went to shift gears the clutch went to the floor and didn't come back up, I had to pull over luckily I didn't get hit or cause an accident. I was told by Mazda there would be no recall because this part isn't a direct safety issue.
On 17 feb 2011 I was driving my 2003 Mazda 6s and while driving at a low speed of 25 MPH all my lights on my dashboard turned on and my car immediately began to reduce speed almost to a stand still. Luckily I was able to pull to the side of the road in time to avoid any accidents or possible damage to my vehicle. I restarted my car and was able to proceed in driving. However my engine light remained on. I researched this issue online and found that someone with the same model vehicle and year had the same issue almost verbatim. The referenced a service bulletin from Mazda bulletin no: 01-016/06 released in 2006 regarding throttle body replacement. I read the bulletin and sure enough it stated to inspect the letters on the throttle body. It showed aa,ab,ba markings = no good and bb marking = good. So I inspected my vehicles throttle body letter and sure enough it was "aa". …
I hadn't had the car too long and was taking off from a traffic light when the hard shift first occurred. I really thought I'd been hit from behind by another car, but this was not the case. It didn't happen too often for awhile, then it started happening more frequently so I took it in. I took it to multiple Mazda dealers, where I would leave it overnight for them to try and reproduce the problem. They always insisted that they could not so I gave up for awhile. It got worse and then I saw a TSB online about the issue. The supposed fix is to flash the computer chip. Every dealer I contacted about it said they'd charge an hour labor to do this, and my private mechanic couldn't do it as it's some magical thing only the dealers can do. Anyway I have not had it flashed yet, the car is coming up on 147K and the problem is now so bad that it's dangerous. …
Check engine light came on car was hesitating in middle of highway felt like it wanted to shut off made it home next day car did not start had it towed to the dealer car kept in shop for a month dealer could not figure out the problem said it was a sensor in the engine that was defective got the car back but it since then continued to give me problems brought the car back to original dealer crystal Mazda for 3 recalls in july04 and other problems, in april05 check engine light suddenly turns on in the middle of a busy highway car starts to jerk and just died car was towed to the dealer and they called me weeks later to tell me the engine seazed I have had a lemon law case with kimmel and silverman for a year now dealership have been very nasty to me as well as the manufacturer they do not want to fix the vehicle or give me a replacement I also requested a copy of an invoice describing …
Tl contact owns a 2003 Mazda 6. While driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle vibrated and hesitated without warning. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer. The technician stated that the failure was related to the engine, which was replaced. In addition, the vehicle would shift roughly from first to second gear. He experienced failure with the exterior lights and the window operating mechanisms. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and a diagnostic test was performed. The technician stated that the aftermarket electronic components were possibly the causes of the failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the following components: alternator, battery, exterior lights, and four window operating mechanisms. Also, the computer module, transmission, and air conditioner modules were replaced. …
I have a Mazda 6i.at 8500 miles after having my car I had the clutch go out. When I took it to the dealer I was severly stereotyped as a street racer which I am in no way , if that were the case I would have bought the 6s . They wanted to charge me $800 to fix the problem , which I immediately disputed and was treated as a child.eventually they fixed it and I quote "not under warranty but fixed out of kindness" and that was the end of that. Now at 13000 miles my manual transmission would not shift into 1st or 2nd gear I took it in and the first response I got from the service clerk was " whats wrong with the car?" and that if they find I caused the problem it would be estimated $1000 to fix it if it wasn't covered by the warranty. I feel that because my age I am discriminated against even though I purchased the car myself in my name at 18. …
We purchased a 2003 Mazda6 new from a Mazda dealership. We had some issue with the car shuddering when engaging the clutch and called the dealership. We were told that the issue was related to "variable valve timing" and told to rev it a little higher when engaging the clutch. At approx 40,000 miles the clutch wore out and we tried to contact Mazda and file a claim, but we were denied. I paid to have the clutch repaired, and now have approx. 60,000 miles on the vehicle. Recently, the whole clutch pedal assembly has malfunctioned and is causing significant issues with the engagement of the gears. Several times the car has not gone into gear and my wife got stuck in the middle of an intersection the other day and was almost struck by another vehicle because she could not get the car in gear. …
I won a 2003 mazda6s and I am having issues with my clutch. I first changed the clutch at 18,000 miles and I had to argue with Mazda on that because the clutch is only covered for 1yr/12,000 miles. Now at 35,000 and change miles my clutch has failed again. Mazda has no recalled this issue with the clutch and in my opinion it should be a recall. I am a member at http://forum.mazda6club.com/), and there you can do a search and fine hundreds of people with the same clutch issue. The failure of a clutch from normal wear and tear does not normally occur so early in a car's life (see www.drivetrain.com/clutcharticle.html). In addition the wear of the clutch under normal conditions should not be the customer's fault and Mazda has not acknowledged this. I would like Mazda to understand that there is an issue with the clutch in these cars thank you for your time.
I purchased a 2003 Mazda 6 about a month ago, and I have had the hard shifting problems and the temp gauge going up to high all the time and floating back down. I was not informed of this and other recalls of this model and I have been denied to get the problem fixed. The dealer where I bought it said they flashed it a couple times but it is not stated o n my repair receipt. I feel that I am driving a dangerous car and something needs to be done!!!! I am not going to keep driving this car and I feel I can take it back because my first payment is not due yet. Be it said that this car has been in the shop 4 times since day one! They still will not fix it and it is under warranty. This is a rip off and this model is unsafe and these models should be taken off of the market!!!
My wife was driving our 2003 Mazda 6 with 56,000 miles to school on Thursday morning on a busy 2-lane highway. She shifted (likely to 4th), and the manual transmission locked-up. Fortunately, she is an experienced driver and was able to disengage the clutch and coast the car to the shoulder without incident. If she had been inexperienced, or if a shoulder had not been available, or if the car behind her had been closer, the outcome could have been tragic. Regarding, the transmission, it had been maintained with all of the recommended fluid changes, and it was locked-up and damaged beyond economical repair. A used transmission was installed by the local Mazda dealer at a cost of over $2,000.
Transmission complaints in other Mazda6 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2003 Mazda Mazda6?
NHTSA has 36 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2003 Mazda Mazda6, 21% of the model year's 174 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (14 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Mazda Mazda6 transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2003 Mazda Mazda6, though it has 6 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2003 Mazda Mazda6 transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 25,000 miles, and 53% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.